Anti-Japanese War Espionage: I Have an Omniscient Perspective

3 PM.

After finishing the meeting in Shanghai, Lin Rui returned to Lianhua Film Studio. When he passed by Xiao Liu's cigarette stand, he stopped and bought a pack of cigarettes.

As he took the pack of cigarettes, Lin Rui said in a low voice, "Come to the film studio tonight, we have a meeting. It's important."

Xiao Liu put away the money and replied in a low voice, "Yes."

Lin Rui put away the cigarettes, walked across the street, and entered the Lianhua Film Studio.

At this point, he did not mention anything about Nanjing.

Instead, the three group members were notified two hours later, after dinner had ended.

"Tonight, all members of the 3rd Infiltrator Team will have a meeting. Erzhu, go and keep watch at the entrance; Xiao Liu will be here tonight."

"Yes," Zhao Erzhu replied.

The team leader's attitude gave everyone a strange feeling, as if something big was about to happen at the team meeting that night.

At 8 p.m., Zhao Erzhu stood behind the door, chewing on fried soybeans.

A dark figure appeared outside the Lianhua Film Studio.

It was Sun Xiaoliu. Although they knew each other, he still whispered his code name: "Full House of Descendants".

Zhao Erzhu replied, "The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove." Then he opened the door and let Sun Xiaoliu in.

At this moment, Lin Rui, who was in his office on the second floor, also used his supernatural ability to observe the surrounding situation and make sure that no one was watching him.

Then, Zhao Erzhu brought Sun Xiaoliu up and knocked on the door to report: "Team leader, Xiaoliu is here."

Lin Rui opened the door and said to Zhao Erzhu, "Call the others over for a meeting."

Soon after, Chen Shan, Su Wan, and Zhao Erzhu arrived.

They greeted Sun Xiaoliu warmly.

"Xiao Liu, I see you across the street every day but we've never said a word. Now we can finally chat for a bit." "You live alone out there, it must be tough."

Sun Xiaoliu also started chatting with them.

Lin Rui interrupted their chatter: "Alright, let's get down to business now. Everyone, sit down."

The four people sat down on the bench, and Lin Rui said with a serious expression, "Nanjing has fallen."

Just like at Shanghai Station, these five short words had a huge impact.

Chen Shan dropped his notebook, his face deathly pale, his voice trembling: "Nanjing has fallen just like that? Shanghai has been under attack for so long, how could Nanjing have fallen so quickly?!"

His confusion was also the question on everyone's mind.

"The intelligence came from the station chief, it can't be wrong," Lin Rui replied.

Chen Shan's face turned even paler.

As a veteran of the Special Service, he knew better than anyone what the fall of Nanjing meant. Those of them who were lurking in Shanghai were no different from kites with broken strings.

Zhao Erzhu, however, was much calmer than him. He bent down, picked up the notebook, and placed it in Chen Shan's hand.

"I knew this day would come. Those Japanese devils have such wolfish ambitions. First the Northeast, then Beijing and Tianjin, then Shanghai, Nanjing... Sigh. But since we've entered this line of work, we've never thought about turning back. Whatever the team leader says, we'll do!"

Lin Rui looked at Zhao Erzhu and nodded slightly. This composure was especially rare in chaotic times.

This time, Chen Shan, unusually, did not argue with Zhao Erzhu and continued to sit there blankly.

What about Sun Xiaoliu?

Surprisingly, there was no panic; they remained remarkably calm.

As the saying goes, true friendship is revealed in times of adversity, and true character is revealed in times of chaos.

Lin Rui thought highly of Sun Xiaoliu.

His gaze fell on Su Wan.

Su Wan seemed to have all her strength drained away, slumping into the chair, her face as white as paper.

She looked up at Lin Rui: "Team leader, my home... my parents are still in Nanjing."

Lin Rui felt a pang in his heart. If Su Wan's parents and relatives hadn't escaped, they would probably be suffering inhuman horror right now, or even...

But this was definitely not something he could tell Su Wan, so he tried to comfort her.

"The fall of Nanjing didn't happen overnight. Your parents should have left by now, so don't worry."

Hearing Lin Rui's words, Su Wan felt a little better, but she still couldn't help but cry softly.

Lin Rui could only say seriously, "Control your emotions and continue the meeting."

Su Wan then stopped crying and sat up straight.

"From today onwards, everything at the film studio will continue as usual, but no one is allowed to discuss news from Nanjing in private, nor to express emotions in public. Chen Shan, you will continue to keep accounts and collect payments. Zhao Erzhu, the logistics and security of the film studio are your responsibility; no unfamiliar faces are allowed to enter. Su Wan, you need to manage your emotions and do a good job with the paperwork. Sun Xiaoliu, the lookouts outside the film studio are doing a great job; keep it up."

"Yes!" the four answered in unison.

Lin Rui nodded: "Then this meeting is adjourned. Sun Xiaoliu, hurry back before curfew."

At this meeting, he was simply giving instructions to his subordinates to adapt to the new environment and adjust their mindset to face the current situation.

...........

One night passed.

On the streets of the French Concession, people could be seen distributing copies of the "Xin Shen Bao," a newspaper controlled by the Japanese.

The front page headline read "Nanjing Has Fallen" in bold black font, accompanied by a photo of Japanese soldiers entering Nanjing with the Rising Sun Flag, the words brimming with arrogance and conceit.

Furthermore, the Japanese trading company organized a celebratory parade.

Ronin wearing wooden clogs, along with some traitors and defectors, held a parade in bustling areas such as Avenue Joffre and Rue de la Belle, waving the Rising Sun flag.

They banged drums and gongs, shouted shrill slogans, and shoved passersby along the way, their arrogance reaching its peak.

"These beasts!"

"Nanjing has fallen; they are just showing off their power."

"Damn it, I'm going to kill them!"

Angry curses echoed from the streets and alleys, and many people clenched their fists, picked up stones and rotten vegetable leaves from the roadside, and threw them at the marching crowd.

Instantly, chaos erupted at the scene. Traitors in the march frantically dodged, while the ronin drew their short swords and pointed them at the crowd.

"Stop! No more trouble!"

A piercing whistle rang out, and a large number of French Concession police rushed over.

They forcibly separated the crowd from the marchers.

However, the public's anger was difficult to quell, and the conflict escalated.

To prevent the situation from escalating, the French Concession Municipal Council urgently mobilized 2000 troops. Armored vehicles were deployed to the streets, and soldiers, rifles in hand, pointed their guns at the crowd, setting up a cordon on the street where the incident occurred.

The cold muzzle of the gun finally suppressed the public's anger.

The parade, escorted by the army, departed in a triumphant manner.

On the streets, only scattered stones, rotten vegetable leaves, and grief-stricken people remained.

.....

The news of Nanjing's fall eventually spread throughout the French Concession.

Amidst widespread anxiety, the attitudes of various factions have also undergone subtle changes.

Inside the entrance of Tongfu Hall.

Zhang Xiaolin sat in the main seat, clutching a copy of the "New Shen Bao" newspaper in his hand, his face ashen.

His subordinates advised him to defect to the Japanese as soon as possible, since their Tongfu Association had a good relationship with Japanese trading companies.

"Shut up!" Zhang Xiaolin slammed the newspaper on the ground and roared, "I, Zhang Xiaolin, am a member of the Green Gang, and I value loyalty and righteousness! If I were to defect to the Japanese, Green Gang members would surely kill me as a sacrifice to their flag. I will absolutely not be the one to stick my neck out."

His rebuke was laced with a hint of bravado but a lack of real strength.

It wasn't that they were unwilling to side with the Japanese, but rather that they didn't want to be the first to speak out and incur public wrath.